Pro- and Anti-Saleh Yemenis Hold Rival Rallies

Antigovernment protesters attend Friday Prayers during a demonstration in Sanaa on June 10.

An estimated 100,000 people have protested in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, demanding that wounded President Ali Abdullah Saleh, currently outside the country, be removed from power.

The rally was reportedly the biggest since Saleh was injured in a blast at his presidential palace earlier this month.

Large numbers of Yemenis loyal to Saleh, meanwhile, gathered a few kilometers away to celebrate after state media said the president was making a quick recovery.

Saleh was rushed to Saudi Arabia for treatment along with several other government officials who were also wounded in the blast.

Saleh, who has ruled for nearly 33 years, has held out against a wave of antiregime protests since late January, throwing the country into turmoil.

Before his injuries, opposition tribesmen sided with the protesters and battled against government forces in the capital.

compiled from agency reports